1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to orthopedic tables and, more particularly, to apparatus for positioning the upper body support of an orthopedic table.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Performance of modern orthopedic surgical procedures requires a support, or table, for the patient on whom the procedures are to be performed that satisfies several needs. The table must permit hospital personnel to transfer a patient from a litter to the table in a manner that requires application to the patient's body of as little physical stress as possible. The table should facilitate quick, convenient and precise positioning of the patient's body on the table. The table must permit hospital personnel to reposition the patient's body relative to the table with application to the patient's body of as little physical stress as possible. The table must provide unrestricted access by the orthopedic surgeon to the parts of the patient's body on which the surgical procedures are being performed. The table must permit positioning of image-amplification apparatus proximate all parts of the patient's body to permit examination of the parts of the patient's body on which the surgeon will perform surgical procedures, regardless of the type of procedure to be performed.
Conventional orthopedic tables include a support for the upper body of the patient, a base for supporting the upper body support a distance from the floor and abductor bars extending from the base for supporting and positioning the patient's legs. The abductor bars are usually mounted to the base for pivotal movement and include foot supports which are clamped to the bars. The foot supports can be moved along the abductor bars to accommodate patients of different sizes. The upper body support of a conventional orthopedic table is fixed to the base and cannot be moved relative to it. Further, the base of a conventional orthopedic table commonly includes a housing beneath the upper body support which contains control apparatus for tilting the upper body support, or portions of it, to facilitate performance of certain orthopedic surgical procedures.
The fixed position of the upper body support relative to the control housing and the portion of the table base which contacts the floor and the proximity of the housing to the upper body support cause several problems. Because image-amplification equipment must be placed near--usually both above and below--the part of the body to be examined, and because the control housing and base of conventional tables prevent such equipment from being positioned in a number of areas beneath the upper body support, the area of the patient's body which can be examined with image-amplification apparatus is limited. Further, the control housing and base often prevent the orthopedic surgeon from assuming the position relative to the patient's body that is most favorable for performing a particular surgical procedure. Often, the control housing and base prevent personnel from positioning a litter bearing a patient adjacent the upper body support, thus forcing hospital personnel to manually transport the patient through a distance and risk causing the patient's body to experience physical trauma. Moreover, the fixed position, relative to the upper body support, of the ends of the abductor bars that are secured to the base ensures that the upper body support or abductor bars, depending on which surgical procedure is being performed, will hamper the orthopedic surgeon during performance of the procedure. Also, since the position of the abductor bars relative to the upper body support cannot be altered, repositioning of the patient relative to the abductor bars for bilateral procedures must be accomplished by physically moving the patient on the upper body support, thereby creating the possibility that the patient's body will experience physical trauma.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an orthopedic table that provides better access to areas of a patient's body upon which orthopedic surgical procedures are being performed than is provided by conventional orthopedic tables. Further, there exists a need for an orthopedic table that minimizes the risk of causing a patient's body to experience physical trauma when the patient is transferred from a litter to the table and as the surgical procedures are being performed.